ABSTRACT
Well-written characters with developed personality flaws and strengths allow players to relate to them. The makeup of good characters applies to characters of mobile and social games, just as they apply to characters of traditional games and other media. The guide character leaves no wiggle room for nuance and tells players exactly what they need to do. Guide characters created with in-universe motivations and perspectives not only are helpful to the player, but also have believable motivations for their involvement, which enhance their games' storytelling. DragonSoul's Unstable Understudy and Good Knight Story's leprechaun are two guide characters who have clear motivations for being invested in the player's success. After the tutorial gets players comfortable, guide characters, whenever possible, should have in-universe reasons for helping the player. While mobile games may not have the capacity for cinematics, cutscenes, and extensive dialogue trees, their limitations give narrative designers and writers plenty of innovative opportunities for characterization and character development.
